This course provides an introduction to the childcare profession. It includes an exploration of child development from infancy through school age, with emphasis on planning developmentally appropriate activities in a safe and healthy learning environment. Included are investigations of childcare for special needs children, mildly ill children, and alternative groupings.

VII. Required Course Content and Direction

Learning Goals:

To understand the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children.

To develop practical techniques for classroom management when working with young children.

To understand current techniques for keeping children safe, healthy, and well nourished at home and in the school environment.

To plan classroom curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.

To design a classroom environment to stimulate development.

To develop techniques to promote home/school cooperation.

To develop techniques to effectively communicate with parents.

Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

Development of infants/toddlers

Motor development

Social/Emotional development

Cognitive development

Development of preschool children

Motor development

Social/emotional development

Cognitive development

Planning/Curriculum development

Organizing physical space

furniture

toys/games

Time

Daily routines

Play

parallel

associative

constructive

dramatic

Art and music activities

Physical activity

Conceptual skills

Language/listening activities

Math activities

incidental learning

teacher led activities

Science

magnets

planets

animals

cooking

food

Health

Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

Departmentally selected textbook. Current articles from education journals. Details provided by the instructor of each course section. See Course Format

VIII. Teaching Methods Employed

At least 2.5 hours each week will be devoted to the presentation of course material in a classroom setting.